Five Maoists surrender in Chhattisgarh

Five Maoists, including two women, surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday.

The high-handedness by top brass ultras, discriminatory treatment, exploitation of women and taking away of their property by troubling villagers have been told as the primary reasons behind the move, besides the state government's rehabilitation policy.

"They would work at the national park area committee. Two of the surrendered Maoists are deputy commanders of militia platoon. Three surrendered men were working along with militants, while the surrendered women left their camps and entered into the village," said Bijapur District Collector Kesar Abdul Haq.

The women Maoists had a bounty of rupees two lakh each on them.

The police have given Rs 5,000 to each of the surrendered Maoist as the reward money.

Meanwhile, the police arrested a Maoist of Jharkhand Janmukti Parishad in Palamu district. He has been booked under several cases, extortion being one of them.

As per the police, he had threatened a hospital superintendent for extortion after which he was nabbed. "He has been arrested and further interrogation is being done," said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Palamu, Ranjan Barwar.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier this month said that the Maoists should shun the path of violence as there is no space for violence in a democracy. He had emphasized that the Naxalites must drop weapons and contribute in the development of villages as well as the state.